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Original poster

anyone else horrified by the journalist who sedates her kids on long journeys?

125 replies

Tanya86 · 08/04/2013 15:50

i was really shocked by this. I have done many a long train journey when my son was a baby and toddler. He would cry and be noisy and want to run up and down the carriage. It would still never enter my head to sedate him and believe me the journeys were very stressful! I would be terrified and be watching every breath he took and probably end up more stressed as a result.

Many people seem to sedate their kids but it's certainly not for me!

OP posts:
5eggstremelychocaletymadeggs · 08/04/2013 16:35

Well she also wrote an article about how she smacks her childrrn and proudly described how she slapped het 14yr old.

She isnt someone i would look to for parenting advice...

theDudesmummy · 08/04/2013 16:36

If I did not use an antihistimine for my autistic child we would not be able to travel anywhere, by car or plane, that takes longer than an hour.

ivykaty44 · 08/04/2013 16:40

Tanya - to you getting on a 28 hour flight may seem madness - but to others who want to see their family (possibly their family 28 hours away are unable to travel on planes) may be what they need to do to see them.

Original poster
Tanya86 · 08/04/2013 16:43

the dudesmummy - that is different. it seems you are not sedating him because you can't be bothered to deal with him acting out and being naughty, but because he becomes distressed in long journeys. At the end of the day it's just my opinion on the matter. I just believe that sedating a child to prevent them being naughty and noisy due to boredom is wrong. If they have a condition that means you have to sedate them then that's different.

OP posts:
AmberLeaf · 08/04/2013 16:49

Just because it's antihistamine, doesn't make it right!

Actually, if you look at the packaging on a bottle of phenergan it lists 'occasional sedation' as one of its uses.

Gorjuss · 08/04/2013 16:50

I would never dream of giving my children anything it constantly amazes me how much calpol other friends go through. Sometimes the thought of a journey is far worse than actually doing it.

AmberLeaf · 08/04/2013 16:54

Phenergan

What is it used for?

Allergic conditions such as hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and nettle rash (urticaria).
Life threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis).
Preventing travel sickness.
Sedation before surgery (preoperative sedation).
<strong>Short-term use as a sedative in children</strong>
Short-term treatment of sleeping difficulties (insomnia) in adults.

Read more: www.netdoctor.co.uk/allergy-and-asthma/medicines/phenergan.html#ixzz2Pt6Lkfx4

theDudesmummy · 08/04/2013 16:55

Well Tanya, thanks for that, I see it that way. He is not naughty at all, quite the opposite. But he just does not understand, for example, that he is not allowed to get up and run around a plane and nose around in people's bags, and there is no way of explaining it to him. Or that he has to come and sit down when the seatbelt sign is on. The antihistimine also acts as an antiemetic, which in his case is also important!

Coconutty · 08/04/2013 16:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tethersend · 08/04/2013 17:01

Half horrified, half wondering what she used and in what quantity.

Original poster
Tanya86 · 08/04/2013 17:02

the dudesmummy - yeah i know where you are coming from. My brother is autistic and people see a physically normal looking child and assume they are just naughty. My mum found it frustrating at how ignorant people were.

OP posts:
clam · 08/04/2013 17:06

Shona Sibury! Isn't she also the journo who was whingeing recently about being poor on £100Kpa? And who sold her house and now can't get back on the housing ladder? And a fair few other pointless ramblings articles?

lemonmuffin · 08/04/2013 17:54

She's seen what Liz Jones and Samantha Brick are earning out of being all controversial and she wants some of it.

Don't rise to it.

DioneTheDiabolist · 08/04/2013 18:01

You actually can sedate your children?Shock. Why am I only discovering this now?

(rushes off to tell Dsis who is taking little psycho DNeice on holiday this week.)

orangeandlemons · 08/04/2013 18:04

Well if you have to give your dc travel sickness meds, then you are sedating them anyway. We have to give them to dd as she will be sick everywhere if we don't.

The sedatives side effect does make for a calm and peaceful journey

SophiaTheFirst · 08/04/2013 18:04

I have used Phenegan, on the advice of my GP, to help my DC cope with jetlag when travelling longhaul, it works very well.

I only use it once we have arrived safely at our destination to get them over the jetlag, never on the plane, and I don't feel any concern about our use of it.

Also I don't care what others think, we are happy, our doctor is happy.

And for those who think that it is madness to travel longhaul with preschoolers, we do it because we don't live on the same continent as our family.

SophiaTheFirst · 08/04/2013 18:05

Phenergan not Phenegan

Longdistance · 08/04/2013 18:08

Oh I must be shit mummy then. I used Phenergan with my dd traveling to the Uk from Oz when I was on my own.
Magic stuff though.

Longdistance · 08/04/2013 18:09

X post with Sofia.

TumbleWeeds · 08/04/2013 18:18

I thought about it when the dcs were little. I have never done it also felt I was using the medication for an entirely different reason than the one intended. And it didn't sit right with me.

I can see how this could help oblong journey and for the jet lag. What I am more dubious is what people mean by long journey and public transport.
I wouldn't use that on a train. I think you can entertain your dcs on a 3~4 hour journey. I wouldn't do it in a car. You can choose your breaks. But on a 24 hour plane trip... Yes I can understand.

Fwiw I remember asking MN at the time, about 7 years ago, and the response was unanimous. How can you think about drugging your dcs for your own convenience. Interesting to see how things change.

lemonmuffin · 08/04/2013 18:20

Can you still get phenergan these days, I thought it had been banned.

My mum used to take it when my brother was away travelling, it was the only way she could get to sleep at night apparently!

Would love to know what was in it.

AmberLeaf · 08/04/2013 18:26

lemon its just an antihistimine.

my post upthread links to a web page about it.

Tumbleweed, it isn't using it for an entirely different reason than intended, one of its uses is sedation.

lemonmuffin · 08/04/2013 18:29

Thanks Amber.

SophiaTheFirst · 08/04/2013 18:46

"Fwiw I remember asking MN at the time, about 7 years ago, and the response was unanimous. How can you think about drugging your dcs for your own convenience. Interesting to see how things change"

Tumbleweeds It isn't something that has universal approval now and was frowned on before. I doubt it happens more now than it used to, it isn't as if 7 years ago mothers didn't do it, it has been used as a sedative for years.

FWIW I think Phenergan in particular is being used more now because 5-10 years ago mothers could buy Medised over the counter for the same effect but that has now been restricted (discontinued??) because it was infamous for being used as a sedative rather than as an infant cold medication.

Using a medication to sedate your child is certainly nothing new, times haven't changed.

Pollydon · 08/04/2013 18:58

I wish the parents sat behind us on the 5 1/2 hr flight to Cyprus had used it, my poor dd had the back of her seat kicked the whole way Angry